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Lazy Cat Kitchen

Lazy Cat Kitchen

A food blog with plant-based recipes from all over the world

Tofu bánh mì with vegan Sriracha mayo

March 11, 2016 by Ania - 14

aquafaba, Asian-inspired, easy, gluten-free, tofu

tofu bahn mi with vegan sriracha mayo mayo lunch

Bánh mì is a brilliant example of colliding food cultures. It owes its familiar form of a crusty baguette to the French, yet its palate-tingling array of complex flavours and textures is totally down to the Vietnamese. If you haven’t had a chance to have one yet, I encourage you to try it, it’s bound to make you grin all the way through your lunchtime!

Although the fillings can vary quite a lot most of them follow a similar pattern apart from an ice-cream version, which does what it says on the tin – a baguette filled with ice cream scoops and sprinkled with crushed peanuts.

Most bánh mìs owe their satisfying bite to a mixture of something ‘chewy’ (in our case it’s seasoned tofu), something ‘sweet and sour’ (pickled carrot and daikon are most commonly used), something crunchy (cucumber or other raw veggies) and something fresh (plenty of coriander) topped with something ‘spicy’ (spicy chilli sauce or vegan sriracha mayo).

It is really hard to describe all these various flavours bouncing off each other in your mouth, so excuse me for a second – I need to take a bite of my Vietnamese sandwich to keep the memory of how good it is alive 🙂 .

PS: If you make my tofu bánh mì, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram as @lazycatkitchen and use the #lazycatkitchen hashtag. I love seeing your takes on my recipes!

tofu bahn mi with vegan sriracha mayo ingredients

tofu bahn mi with vegan sriracha mayo

Print
  • serves: 4
  • prep: 30 min
  • cooking: 30 min

Ingredients

  • 1 long baguette or 4 small ones (GF if gluten intolerant)
  • a wedge of cabbage, sliced finely
  • 2 small cucumbers, ribboned
  • 2 small spring onions
  • small bunch of coriander

PICKLES (make a day ahead if you can)

  • 2 carrots, ribboned / julienned
  • 3 small turnips or 15 radishes, sliced/julienned
  • ½ cup / 120 ml rice vinegar + ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup brown sugar or maple syrup
  • 15 Szechuan (or black) peppercorns
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed with a knife

MARINATED TOFU

  • 400 g firm tofu, pressed*
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 4 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
  • 1-2 tbsp Sriracha
  • 3 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tsp cornflour / cornstarch (optional)
  • 3 tbsp oil, for frying (optional)

SRIRACHA MAYO

  • ¼ cup / 60 ml aquafaba / chickpea water**
  • 4 tsp / 20 ml lime juice (or lemon juice or vinegar)
  • ¼-½ tsp salt, more to taste
  • ¼ tsp powdered garlic, more to taste
  • approx. 1 cup / 240 ml of mild tasting oil (canola, grapeseed, safflower or light olive oil)
  • 4-5 tsp Sriracha
  • pepper, to taste

Method

  1. Place carrot, turnip (or radishes) in a sterilised (rinsed with boiling water) jar.
  2. Put rice vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, salt and garlic clove in a small pot and bring to the boil. Continue simmering for about 10 minutes.
  3. Pour hot pickling liquid over raw vegetables. Once the pickling liquid cools down, keep the jar in the fridge.
  4. Mix tofu marinade ingredients: maple syrup, rice vinegar, tamari, Sriracha and sesame oil. Cut pressed tofu into smaller pieces. You can prepare it in two different ways. I like my tofu pan-fried but you can also bake it for a healthier and still very good result. If pan-frying your tofu, sprinkle it lightly with cornflour/cornstarch and fry on a small amount of hot oil until browned on both sides. Blot it with a piece of paper towel after frying. Finally, pour marinade over the tofu to flavour it. If baking, immerse the tofu pieces in prepared marinade and set the oven to 180° C / 355° F. Once the oven is ready, pop marinated tofu pieces onto a paper-lined baking tray and bake for 30-40 minutes. Once baked, apply a second layer of marinade to intensify the flavour.
  5. To make a mayo, put aquafaba, lime juice, salt and garlic powder into a tall container and blend together with an immersion blender. Once combined and slightly frothy, start adding oil very slowly while blending at the same time. It should be literally trickled in (rather than poured in) so that the mayo starts to emulsify properly. Once your mayo gets all thick and creamy, season it with Sriracha, pepper and extra salt if needed. Refrigerate it (to thicken it further) while you assemble your sandwich.
  6. Cut baguettes into small pieces and toast them lightly under a grill. Fill them with a layer of pickled vegetables, fresh cucumber, shredded cabbage, spring onions, tofu and fresh coriander. Top with a dollop of Sriracha mayo before closing the sandwich.

Notes

*To press the tofu without a tofu press, wrap your tofu in a paper towel, place it on a plate and weigh it down with something heavy (like a can of coconut milk, for example). Once the paper towel becomes wet, change it for a new one. Repeat a few times until the paper towel stays almost dry. Pressed tofu is tastier as it absorbs flavours better.

**Aquafaba (AF) or bean brine is leftover cooking water from cooking most legumes. I use chickpea water and have not tried using any other type yet. You can get it from a can of low sodium chickpeas or make your own. In this recipe, I used tinned AF, but when making sweet recipes I always make my own to avoid added salt. When making your aquafaba, soak dry chickpeas in lots of water overnight, rinse and put in a large pot with lots of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 1 hour (until beans are soft). Remove cooked chickpeas with a slotted spoon and what’s left in your pot is aquafaba. If it is too runny (ideally it should resemble egg whites), you can concentrate it a bit by simmering it on a low heat (without a lid) until it reaches the desired consistency. Cool it down before using.

My vegan mayo recipe is inspired by this recipe.

If you want more info on some of the ingredients that we use in our recipes, check out our glossary.
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This recipe has been written by Ania. She is the cook, stylist and photographer behind Lazy Cat Kitchen. You can read about her journey into food blogging here. You can also check her out on Pinterest and Instagram.

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    Comments

    Leave a comment

  1. Tina says

    March 11, 2016 at 11:35 am

    This looks so yummy – and really so simple – thank you 😀

    Reply
    • Ania says

      March 11, 2016 at 3:58 pm

      Thanks so much, Tina. I’m pleased to hear that.
      BTW, I checked out your blog and absolutely love your anteaters – they are adorable! x

      Reply
  2. Julie says

    March 11, 2016 at 8:07 pm

    I love Banh Mi, thanks for the detailed explanation of the components and making it healthier! I’m not an intuitive cook and really appreciate the instruction. Question about the mayo and the pickles- how long will they safely last in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Ania says

      March 11, 2016 at 9:21 pm

      Thanks Julie, I’m glad that you are finding the recipe helpful. I would say that pickles can probably stay in the fridge for at least a month as vinegar and salt preserve them very well – just make sure they are completely immersed in the pickling liquid. As for the mayo, not sure yet. Mine has been in my fridge for over a week now and I enjoyed it with my lunch today. I reckon 2 weeks should be safe.

      Hope that helps a little,

      Ania

      Reply
  3. Allie | In This Kitchen says

    March 12, 2016 at 12:59 am

    These look so, so good – I LOVE Banh Mi. Your photos are super good too!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      March 12, 2016 at 4:25 pm

      Thank you so much, Allie!

      Reply
  4. Thalia @ butter and brioche says

    March 12, 2016 at 4:59 am

    Yum! Love Banh Mi, especially your version – it looks so vibrant and delicious.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      March 12, 2016 at 4:25 pm

      Thanks so much, Thalia! So pleased to hear! x

      Reply
  5. Maikki | Maikin mokomin says

    March 12, 2016 at 7:55 am

    Those baguettes look so delicious! They would be perfect portable lunch 🙂

    Reply
    • Ania says

      March 12, 2016 at 4:25 pm

      Thanks Maikki! I haven’t tested portability aspect yet as I wasn’t able to resist eating straight after making them 🙂 .

      Reply
  6. Aimee / Wallflower Girl's Kitchen says

    March 13, 2016 at 3:11 pm

    Oh my goodness, this sounds amazing! Love the idea of using aquafaba to make mayo!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      March 13, 2016 at 4:09 pm

      Thanks, Amiee! It’s great, isn’t it? And it’s super easy too – it’s less temperamental than traditional mayo, I would say.

      Reply
  7. Erika says

    January 7, 2018 at 3:44 am

    I’m confused about the vegetable pickling. You don’t say anything about what to do with them once you immerse them in the liquid…..how long do you boil it for? Do you take it out and refrigerate it?

    Reply
    • Ania says

      January 7, 2018 at 2:01 pm

      Hi Erika,

      The idea is that you pour boiling pickling liquid over the vegetables and you keep them in this liquid (in a jar, in the fridge) for as long as you need. They are ready to be eaten straight away, but the flavour will be better if you make them a day in advance. Sorry if I didn’t explain myself more clearly, I will amend the instructions now. Ania

      Reply

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Ania Marcinowska
Hi, I'm Ania. I love good food but I love animals more! Adopting a plant-based diet has been the best decision I've made and that's how this blog was born. It's a space where I want to show you that creating delicious plant-based food isn't actually hard at all.
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